‘Look at this!’ Solo had said, his voice despairing. ‘I tell him it’s all on the house and he disgraces my restaurant. Swell! He must have swam in the stuff.’
Harry bent over the prone body. The stink of whisky made him wrinkle his nose.
‘Is he all right?’
‘All right? He’s drunk!’ Solo said bitterly. ‘Now listen, Harry, his wife is in the restaurant. You take my car and help her... hey? Put him to bed. Soothe her. This is very bad for my business. Help me get him into the car.’
While he pondered on all this, the Wildcat ahead of him was tearing along the highway. Harry had trouble in keeping up with it. The brake lights shone red as the Wildcat swung off the highway, raced down a narrow twisting road so fast Harry let it go. If this woman wanted to kill herself, she could do it. He wasn’t going to risk his neck on such a road.
He lost sight of the Wildcat for several minutes, then picked up the taillights again on a strip of road leading to a housing estate. The Wildcat skidded to a halt before a two-storey house with a tiny lawn, a patio and a garage.
Harry got out of the estate car as Carroll got out of the Wildcat.
‘I can’t tell you how ashamed I am!’ Carroll said as Harry came up to her.
Harry looked at her. The headlights of the two cars gave enough light for both to see each other.
‘Ashamed?’ He smiled. ‘What’s there to be ashamed of?’
‘I could kill him!’
Harry went to the Wildcat, took hold of Lepski, dragged him out of the car and hoisted him across his broad shoulders.
Carroll opened the front door and led Harry with his burden into the small hall, up the stairs and into the small bedroom they reserved for their guests.
‘Dump him in there!’ she said, then leaving the room she went down the stairs and into the living room. She turned on the lights and stood for a long moment while she fought down her fury. Okay, she thought, so Lepski gets drunk. Okay, what’s good for him, is good enough for me!
She went to the liquor cabinet, seized a bottle of gin, poured a treble into a glass, added a dash of soda, then shutting her eyes, swallowed the drink in two stomach-heaving gulps. The room reeled around her and she clutched hold of the liquor cabinet, rattling the bottles and the glasses. Then she drew in a long, slow breath and unsteadily, made her way to the settee. She collapsed on it, not sure if she was going to be sick.
By the time Harry had got Lepski into bed and had come down the stairs, Carroll had again visited the liquor cabinet and she was now so drunk she couldn’t stand.
What a beautiful man! she thought, watching Harry as he came into the room. I’m going to bed with him! I’m going to be unfaithful for the first time in my married life! He’s going to tear off all my clothes and I’m going to scream with ecstasy!
‘There’s nothing to worry about, Mrs. Lepski,’ Harry said. ‘Just let him sleep it off.’
‘Worry about him? That’s a laugh! That’s the last thing I’m going to do! Have a drink, Harry... can I call you Harry?’
Harry looked at her sharply and realised how drunk she was.
‘Call me anything you like.’
‘Harry... I like Harry... have a drink.’
‘No, thanks. I have to get back. This is a busy night for us.’
She giggled.
‘Let’s make it a busy night for us... you and me. Come here, Harry.’ She lay back on the settee, her dress riding up, her knees spread as she beckoned.
Harry flicked up the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. Then silently, he went into the hall, out into the night and to his car.
Terrified at what she was doing, her body shrinking while she waited for his hands to rip her dress from her, Carroll lay still, her heart hammering, her eyes fast shut.
It was only when she heard his car start up and drive away that she realised he had gone.
From the guest room upstairs came a loud, resonant snore.
Burying her face in a cushion, Carroll burst into tears.
Harry came awake.
He looked through the uncurtained window of his cabin at the grey light of the dawn. He peered at his strap watch. The time was 05.30. Getting out of bed, he walked into the kitchenette and plugged in the coffee percolator. Then he went into the shower room, stripped off and stood under the cold water that brought him awake. He dried himself, shaved, then went into the kitchenette and unplugged the percolator. Carrying a cup of strong black coffee into his bedroom, he set the cup down and dressed. Then he sipped the coffee, checked his watch and saw he still had fifteen minutes before he had to get to the boathouse. He leaned back, the coffee cup in his hand and thought of the previous evening.
He couldn’t believe Lepski had been drunk. The obvious solution to the Lepski puzzle was that someone — probably Solo — had sapped Lepski and had knocked him cold. Why had this happened? Harry wondered. When he had left Lepski’s residence, he had driven back to the restaurant. Solo had been too busy serving late dinners to talk to him. It wasn’t until 01.00 that the restaurant closed and then Solo had gone to bed, still giving Harry no chance of talking to him.
Harry had had a brief moment with Nina before going to his cabin. She had looked at him with burning eyes.
‘I’ll be at the boathouse at six,’ she had said and Harry had nodded.
As he walked towards his cabin, Randy had joined him.
‘What’s going on?’ Randy had asked. ‘What happened to Lepski?’
Harry went into Randy’s cabin and sat on the bed. He waited until Randy had pulled the curtains and shut the door, then he said, ‘You want to know what happened to Lepski. I don’t know for sure, but I can make a guess. I think Solo sapped him, poured whisky over him and made out he was drunk. I took him home, put him to bed and soothed his wife.’
Randy’s eyes bulged.
‘You’re kidding! Solo would sap a cop!’
‘Your guess is as good as mine,’ Harry said quietly. ‘That’s the way I see it.’
‘But why?’
‘Maybe Lepski saw something... I don’t know.’ Harry paused and stared at Randy. ‘Look, this is the right moment for you to take off.’
Randy gaped.
‘What do you mean... take off? You said I should stay right here and bluff it out!’
Harry nodded.
‘Situations change. I know I said that, but now, it’s different. When Lepski surfaces and gets to a telephone, this place is going to be smothered with cops. You won’t stand a chance. Take my tip, Randy, get out now.’
‘So what are you going to do?’
‘Tomorrow morning early I’m going to Sheldon Island with Nina.’
‘With Nina?’ Randy’s voice rose. ‘You crazy?’
‘Randy, this is major league. You are way out of your depth. Pack up and get out,’ Harry said. ‘You’re a nice little guy. I don’t want you to get into trouble. Fade away.’
‘Fade away?’ Randy exclaimed. ‘You told me you could never get away from the cops. Now you’re telling me to fade away. What’s the matter with you? Can’t you talk sense?’
Harry felt in his shirt pocket for his pack of Camels while he stared thoughtfully at Randy.
‘I need some sleep, Randy. Get out of here. Do I have to spell it out? Beat it!’ He stood up and started towards the door.
Randy put himself between Harry and the door.
‘Now, wait a minute!’ he said. ‘Just what is all this? You’ve got to tell me! This Baldy thing! You said we could make money out of it!’
‘There’s a chance, Randy, but not for you. You do what I say... get out,’ Harry said patiently.
‘You really mean you’re going to Sheldon with Nina?’
‘Yes... don’t shout.’